Govt recasts food import requirement

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The government has recast the food import requirement as 1.15 million tonnes of rice and 1.56 million tonnes of wheat until June, reports UNB.
Earlier assessment of import requirement was 1.9 million tonnes of rice, and 1.7 million tonnes of wheat.
Some 3,50,000 tonnes of rice will be imported to meet the shortfall while 8,00,000 tonnes as part of security stock.
Food Adviser Tapan Chowdhury and Agriculture Adviser CS Karim at a joint press conference presented the new assessment of import requirement. Neither of them could explain how the import figure came down within six days of previous assessment.
The Food Adviser said, they have requested the Indian government to allow export of 5,00,000 tonnes of rice as pledged without any condition. "We have requested them to honour every L/C, if it is certified by the Bangladesh Food Ministry, no matter if the L/C is opened by the private trader or the government," he said.
Acting Food Secretary Ayub Mia informed that 2,50,000 tonnes out of 5,00,000 tonnes rice have already been imported from India. Contracts are under process for another 2,00,000 tonnes.
Indian government had suspended export of large quantity of rice for which L/Cs were opened earlier. Those are now cleared, he added.
Tapan Chowdhury said, apart from import from India, donors including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and India would also provide rice.
Both the advisers ruled out prospect of any food crisis. They said, huge quantity of rice and wheat would be imported by private and public sectors to meet the shortage.
They also said, if supply of food grains is adequate in the market, it will create positive impact on the price.